Over The Hill

The weather forecast was inconclusive, a Yellow Warning for “Heavy Rain and Strong Winds Nearby”, nearby being just to the north of our planned route. However, a more local outlook was for a mixed bag of cloud and sunny spells with the possibility of some heavy showers. In reality, lets just wait and see what transpires.

Booting up at Auchineden Farm car park the clouds were gathering and you could feel the moisture in the air, and so the majority of us had already donned full waterproofs before we even set off on the short first section of the walk heading for the Auchineden Spout a couple of kilometres down the track. A slight detour down a rough path and you are standing by the pool at the bottom of the spout, and an few extra steps and you can stand behind the tumbling waters in a natural cavern in the rocks. I use the term “stand” rather loosely as myself and Mike found, if you happen to be a little taller than some, a crack on the head turns a stand into an “Ouch!”, crouch!

As we exited the spout to regain the main track there was a definite turn in the weather with a steady rain and blustery wind now accompanying us for every step of the way, so much for “showers”. Nevertheless it was a good track and enjoyable walk as we made our way towards the Kilmannan Reservoir which appeared out of the mist, the waters quite low, as appears to be the case with most reservoirs we have come across lately. At the northern end of the reservoir we attempted to take a short break finding some shelter from the rain and wind at the edge of the forest boundary, but this was not our luck day, as shelter from the wind simply gave the midges a chance to surface, so it was just that, a very short break and back into the wind and rain, both of which were now coming at us with quite a vengeance.

It was a short walk from out stopping point to the shoreline of the much larger Burncrooks Reservoir, where we left the main forest track for a fine graded path with circumnavigate the reservoir; initially hugging the shoreline before if veers slightly inland and zigzags uphill to, what on a fine day would make an ideal rest spot and viewpoint above the reservoir, but which today simply exposed us more to the wind and rain, before it drops down again to rejoint the shoreline and eventually cross the dam and the northwest corner of the reservoir. Under fairy skies the dam would have made a natural stopping point for lunch. However, the general consensus was that to stop would simple be like taking a break beneath the tumbling waters of the spout visited in the early stages of our walk, plus, inertia means cooling down, not a good thing when getting a soaking; whereas to slightly quicken the pace and get back to Auchineden Farm Café where a dry indoors, coffee and cake awaited was the more sensible option. Surely?

And it was too. Nice coffee, scrumptious cakes, dry and warm, the way to end a wet, but very enjoyable walk.

Thanks Pat, and everyone for your chat and company.